keeping Exotic animals in Australia

Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum

Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
It's very understandable why we can't import exotic species, but why can't we import/export our native animals. Like if I was to leave Australia for say America, then I'd have to leave all my reptiles and aphimphans here, but I'd be allowed to take my dogs, cats etc along with me, What's with that?

It encourages poaching in a nutshell. Why earn $100 for a captive bred specimen when you can earn more for a wild specimen. Not everyone is as ethically bound as we would all like to wish.
 
While I love our natives and I'm happy, I can't say I wouldn't love certain exotics.

One thing I don't understand though. Couldn't native reptiles being kept outside their natural range potentially do the same damage as well? Could anyone explain how it's different? Curious.
 
Hi reptinate,

I know of one aussie species doing damage in other countries:

BTS in guam are wrecking the bird population

Also another reason why biosecurity is important; not just things getting in but things getting out

Bredli
 
The reasons Australia has the exotic animals is does are essentially historical. Some are the result of early pet and domesticated species going feral, while others were deliberately released by acclimatization societies in an attempt to establish wild populations, or by authorities to try and control insects or other pests. In terms of pets, keeping mammals, birds and fish are long established hobbies. They managed to get an early foothold and have not been keen to relinquish any of it.

It is not just about avoiding invasive species but also about keeping out diseases. Australia is relatively disease free compared to many other regions of the world. Trying to enforce quarantine regulations is a lot harder than simply banning species of insufficient established economic importance to warrant the extra effort and risk of regulation. Whether that is fair or not is another issue entirely.

The question is whether Australia is overly restrictive? While not every introduced animal is capable of establishing and not all those that do establish spread, it is important to bear in mind that if they do begin to spread, we lose control of their numbers and then they cannot be eradicated. If you get it wrong, you are stuck with the problem forever...

We have examples like North America and Europe, similar cultures to our own, where exotic reptiles and amphibians are readily available in the pet trade, to draw from. I came across this list of 82 invasive exotic reptiles for North America: http://www.invasive.org/species/reptiles.cfm. Even the UK, with its often bitter climate, is not exempt. There are some 13 species of exotic reptiles and 17 species of exotic frog known to have established breeding populations in the wild there.
 
Last edited:
One thing I don't understand though. Couldn't native reptiles being kept outside their natural range potentially do the same damage as well? Could anyone explain how it's different? Curious.
It can and does happen. In the US, for example, there are a number of native reptiles and amphibians that have escaped or been deliberately released outside their natural distribution and are having a negative impact on the locally occurring species. The Red-eared Slider turtle and the American Bullfrog are two causing quite serious problems.

We seem to have fared much better in Australia, so far at least. However that is definitely not grounds for complacency. We have examples of native birds released outside their natural ranges that have become established and invasive. Kookaburras, for example, were deliberately introduced into Tassie and the SW corner of Western Australia and are now widely established in both regions. Rainbow lorikeets have gone through a huge population explosion in Perth in recent years and are currently spreading into surrounding areas.
 
i'm not sure what you mean as the leading member of the States reptile sanctuary told me Best Friends picks them up in the wild in Victoria

- - - Updated - - -

geez sorry guys i didn't think my comments would be taken so negatively...

and yea the comment about me just needing to leave the country if i dont want to support the laws is way too brutal. Just because I dont agree with one law doesn't mean I disagree with every law and its not like I've not purchased a home and had to spend $10,000 in fees to become a citizen. I cant just go back. That I volunteer for two places and work 1 job also makes me a more productive person then most citizens. You also said it during the holidays, a time when i'm very emotionally vulnerable and missing my family, as an immigrant yourself i'd thought you'd be more empathetic.
 
i'm not sure what you mean as the leading member of the States reptile sanctuary told me Best Friends picks them up in the wild in Victoria

They either have a collectors license(doubtful) or he is meaning in reference to rescues to him perhaps...
There are enough established breeders of SB in the state, that DEPI issuing someone a collectors license for them is highly dubious...
 
If you have a citizenship certificate that's good enough for me Dopamel.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 
the way I see it we have done enough damage over the years to ecosystems all over Australia and allowing exotics into Australia on a private level is to much of a risk to take, i love our natives we have some of the most stunning reptiles in the world, couldn't really ask for much more!
 
In relation to previous comments I think its a bit yes and no, on one hand its ok to still import live tropical fish (google it) into australia (almost every paradise fish in aus petshops is an import).
Poultry are still imported from the usa for commercial and more recently (google australian poultry import syndicate) purebred "show" style poultry are being imported as eggs and hatched in quarantine.
So there is still organic imports coming into aus every year including dogs, cats, plants, chooks, fish and assorted livestock etc etc.

I love what we have over here wildlife wise, but on the other hand I would still give six months wages for a pair of chameleons or iguanas or maybe tokay geckoes or even some awesome little tortoises that I can feed lettuce to!!
 

Attachments

  • uploadfromtaptalk1447325709586.jpg
    uploadfromtaptalk1447325709586.jpg
    28.2 KB · Views: 68
In relation to previous comments I think its a bit yes and no, on one hand its ok to still import live tropical fish (google it) into australia (almost every paradise fish in aus petshops is an import).
Poultry are still imported from the usa for commercial and more recently (google australian poultry import syndicate) purebred "show" style poultry are being imported as eggs and hatched in quarantine.
So there is still organic imports coming into aus every year including dogs, cats, plants, chooks, fish and assorted livestock etc etc.

I love what we have over here wildlife wise, but on the other hand I would still give six months wages for a pair of chameleons or iguanas or maybe tokay geckoes or even some awesome little tortoises that I can feed lettuce to!!
What I wouldn't do for an iguana!! [emoji6]

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top